Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for Bartow, FL

Bartow, FL is in USDA zone 10a across its 2 ZIP codes.

Bartow on the zone map

Outlined: its 1 ZIP code areas · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone10a30 to 35 °F
ZIP codes2
Last frostrare
First frostrare
Growing seasonall year

10a 2 ZIPs

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

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Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

A 32 °F frost doesn't happen here in most winters. At the nearest station (NOAA station Bartow 1se, FL, elevation 112 ft) the median growing season is 352 days. When frost does come, it is a midwinter night or two; cover tender plants when a freeze is forecast.

Frost data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 33831 came on Jan 16 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 15).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 10a in Florida

480 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Florida, and rated by the USDA to survive 30 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 10a. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 67

American basswood100 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican beech80 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −44 °FAmerican chestnut115 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican elm120 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican sycamore100 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −34 °FAtlantic white cedar50 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −36 °F

Shrubs 116

aloe yucca15 ft · blooms early summer · medium shade tolerance · to −1 °Falternateleaf dogwood25 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −47 °FAmerican beautyberry6 ft · blooms early summer · medium shade tolerance · to −8 °FAmerican holly40 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −20 °FAmerican hornbeam30 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −34 °FAmerican plum24 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 146

American bur-reed3 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican century plant6 ft · blooms indeterminate · high shade tolerance · to 12 °FAmerican eelgrass1 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican lotus3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −36 °FAmerican pokeweed7 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican spongeplant0.5 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −24 °F

Grasses 131

American cupscale3 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −18 °Fautumn bluegrass1.5 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −8 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fbeaked spikerush3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °Fbig bluestem6 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −46 °Fbig cordgrass8 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to −3 °F

Vines 12

American wisteria50 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −3 °Fcatbird grape30 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −13 °Fcupseed30 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −3 °Fdevil's darning needles15 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Ffrost grape83 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −23 °Fgraybark grape50 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −8 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Bartow, FL.

Soil in Bartow, FL

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 33831 is Matlacha — gravelly fine sand, somewhat poorly drained. Much of the area is built over (urban land); this is the natural soil underneath.

TextureGravelly fine sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH7.0neutral; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageSomewhat poorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter1%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupBwater soaks in moderately
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Urban land, 0 to 2 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 33831; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Bartow, FL

Summer high92 °Faverage high, July
Winter low50 °Faverage low, January
Hot days121days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights2nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days8,459base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day13 h 55 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day10 h 22 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growShort-daysummer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb
Precipitation50.9 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

40°50°60°70°80°90°100°January: average high 73 °F, low 50 °F 73°50° JanFebruary: average high 76 °F, low 52 °F 76°52° FebMarch: average high 80 °F, low 56 °F 80°56° MarApril: average high 84 °F, low 61 °F 84°61° AprMay: average high 89 °F, low 66 °F 89°66° MayJune: average high 91 °F, low 71 °F 91°71° JunJuly: average high 92 °F, low 73 °F 92°73° JulAugust: average high 92 °F, low 73 °F 92°73° AugSeptember: average high 90 °F, low 72 °F 90°72° SepOctober: average high 85 °F, low 66 °F 85°66° OctNovember: average high 79 °F, low 58 °F 79°58° NovDecember: average high 75 °F, low 53 °F 75°53° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″2″4″6″8″January: 2.66 in precipitation 2.7 JanFebruary: 2.10 in precipitation 2.1 FebMarch: 2.84 in precipitation 2.8 MarApril: 2.72 in precipitation 2.7 AprMay: 2.95 in precipitation 3.0 MayJune: 8.28 in precipitation 8.3 JunJuly: 7.56 in precipitation 7.6 JulAugust: 7.78 in precipitation 7.8 AugSeptember: 7.31 in precipitation 7.3 SepOctober: 3.03 in precipitation 3.0 OctNovember: 1.49 in precipitation 1.5 NovDecember: 2.16 in precipitation 2.2 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Bartow 1se, FL (within 1 mile); precipitation: Bartow 1se, FL (within 1 mile). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

ZIP codes in Bartow

3383010a
30 to 35 °F
3383110a
30 to 35 °F

Florida planting zones →

Questions about Bartow

What planting zone is Bartow, FL?

Bartow, FL is in USDA hardiness zone 10a on the 2023 map (10a: 30 to 35 °F).

What kind of onions grow in Bartow, FL?

Short-day onions: the longest day is 13 h 55 min, so summer days stay under about 14 h 20 min, so long-day varieties won’t bulb.

How much rain and snow does Bartow, FL get?

About 50.9 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals).